Beginning with a shore visit at the classic launching point, Bartlett Cove, National Geographic Venture spent today exploring the epic scenery of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The epic fjord system was carved by a rapidly advancing glacier in the traditional home of the Hoona Tlingit people. When the first European explorers reached the area, the glacier was at its maximum, extending all the way into Icy Strait. Two hundred years later, the ice has retreated over sixty miles and left in its place an immense body of water, home to a massive diversity and abundance of animal and plant life.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 24 Jul 2023
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, 7/24/2023, National Geographic Venture
- Aboard the National Geographic Venture
- Alaska
James Hyde, Undersea Specialist
Pacific Northwest born James Hyde grew up immersed in the Salish Sea, on Vashon Island with Seattle as his backdrop. A passionate traveler from a young age, James explored four continents before finishing his degree at Western Washington University's...
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Alaska's Inside Passage
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We started our first full day on board by visiting the Dawes Glacier by Zodiac. As we floated among the growlers and bergy bits, we experienced multiple calving events. We observed many harbor seals with cute, brand-new pups relaxing on the ice. While cruising in the afternoon, we came across a few humpback whales. One humpback hung out close to the ship, lunge feeding and solo bubble netting. Another whale had some fun breaching in the distance, and a third showed off by tail slapping. We ended the day with a great view of Five Finger Lighthouse and look forward to our day in Petersburg tomorrow.
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Endicott Arm
Our final day here in Southeast Alaska was filled with steep fjords, awe-inspiring glaciers, fierce polar plungers, a number of humpbacks, and a beautiful sunset. As we spent the last day in Zodiacs, driving and adrift amongst the ice in front of Dawes Glacier, we were reminded of how tiny we are on this blue rock that abounds with natural beauty and ecological wonders. As the harbor seals swam by, we celebrated the journey with our shipmates, some partaking in a polar plunge. Then we turned off into the sunset surrounded by the sounds of humpback exhalations. Alaska has been a wonder, and we have been thoughtful visitors in a place fragile yet vast.